Is it Ethical for Counselors to Help Autistic Clients Pass for Neurotypical?
A few weeks ago, I got an email from an old friend I knew from graduate school. The email read: “I have a possible referral for you, wanted to make sure it’s a good fit before I send this person your way. Potential client is a young adult with autism. They are hoping...
Should I Get a Formal Autism Diagnosis as an Adult?
Maybe you’ve known from a very young age that you were different.Or perhaps you started to piece together a possible explanation after you failed at something. After college, a job, or a marriage didn’t work out, you started to wonder why things were so hard for...
Trying to Find a Therapist for Autistic Adults? Ask these 3 Questions to be Sure They Won’t Shame You for Being on the Spectrum.
If you’re Autistic and are considering meeting with a therapist, you might have some worries.And I understand why.I’m a mental health counselor who works with adults on the spectrum. I have heard horror stories from some of my clients who have tried therapy in the...
Anxiety, Autism, and Alcohol: Finding Sobriety on the Spectrum
A cursory glance at the research on Autism and alcohol abuse would tell you that Autistic people don’t struggle with alcohol abuse. Articles like this one report that people diagnosed with Autism use alcohol less than neurotypical people do. The article also outlines...
4 Reasons Why I Don’t Demand Eye-Contact from Autistic Clients
Last week I was Janeen Herskovitz’s guest on the Autism Blueprint Podcast (listen here, Episode 45). I talked about how I practice mental health counseling with clients with Autism and other disabilities. Towards the end of the episode, I mentioned not caring...About the Mental Wellness + Disability Blog
Hi, I’m Rose Reif!
I offer counseling to disabled and neurodivergent people and their family members in my Cary, NC office.
Here on the Mental Wellness + Disability blog, I write posts intended to offer resources, useful strategies, and support to disabled and neurodivergent people and the people who love them.